Hawkesbury residents have markedly higher circulatory and chronic respiratory disease rates than those in the metro area. These diseases are known to underpin many breathing-related conditions.
Breathing issues are often dismissed as a normal part of ageing, but doctors say it's wise to raise the topic with your GP. While a wide range of breathing issues are easily treatable, on occasion, symptoms might indicate a more serious illness. With the added complications of COVID-19, where shortness of breath is one of the virus's hallmark symptoms, it's now more important than ever to seek medical advice as if you develop increasing shortness of breath.
To understand what causes breathlessness, what it means for your health, and what you should do if you're experiencing it, local GP Dr Michael Crampton talks to two Hawkesbury District Health Services leading specialists: respiratory physician Dr Wajid Ahmed and cardiologist Dr Grant Shalaby.